Hoping To Join The Army - Good Idea?

[Ayahuasca]

Samuel Johnson said:

Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier

I did a few years in the infantry. Never regretted it.

[Cognoscenti]

If you do go for it I wish you a safe return home in the future - To all currently serving and all those who have then I thank you for everything you done

[98elise]

Donbot said:

The Navy lot seem a bit of an odd bunch....

Edited by Donbot on Wednesday 30th May 21:51

What makes you say that?

Far more professional roles in the Navy, and once out of basic training it's a more relaxed environment than the army.

I did 8 years of which more than half was spent being trained (engineering)

[98elise]

Sa Calobra said:

Sheets Tabuer said:

Join up, get sent to fight by your government then abandoned in a council flat and sued by the enemy while the government stay silent, whats not to like?

Everyone I know who has served didn't experience you stereotyping and generalising. Do you write for the DM?

Agreed. I left 20 years ago and have kept in contact with a lot of friends. None of them have gone off the rails. In fact I would say most of us have thrived after we left.

I'm now in my early 50's and looking to retire in the next couple of years. Life has been far from crap, and I put much of that down to the training, support, and experiences I got at the expense of the government/tax payer.

[The Mad Monk]

OP

Sounds as though you haven't got much to lose, so why not give it a go?

You can always come out after - what's the minimum now? 3, 4, 6 years?

I think you will find that a lot of people will say that it's a good life - if it was such a good life, then why did they come out after just a few years?

[selym]

OneTwo said:

Career advice stuff

Great post. Even though the military has changed immeasurably in the past ten years it is still a great career. OP, you could do a lot worse even if you only do five years - prospective employers are still attracted to ex-servicemen, and you should be a more rounded person than when you went in.

My top tip, don't be a and you'll do ok. You might not be top of the class but if you show willing, the instructors/NCOs will come through for you.

Myles, 20 years in the RAF.

[Deerfoot]

98elise said:

Donbot said:

The Navy lot seem a bit of an odd bunch....

Edited by Donbot on Wednesday 30th May 21:51

What makes you say that?

Far more professional roles in the Navy, and once out of basic training it's a more relaxed environment than the army.

I did 8 years of which more than half was spent being trained (engineering)

I spent my final 24 months on exchange as a WO at a Naval Air Squadron, 1710NAS if anybody is interested.

It was fantastic. They have a very good ethos and their career structure appeared to be better for aviation engineering.

[Chuffedmonkey]

Op

I would have to say now is the best time to join as you feel your life and career prospects are going nowhere.

I will tell anyone who asks about my Army career and what was the best part (happens a lot). I would tell them it was the friends for life you make but most importantly it makes you grow up and in my case, made me a far better man then I thought possible. It gave me confidence. With confidence it opens up your abilities to achieve anything available to you in the Army. I had a decent education and didnt get in trouble before joining but I was just existing week by week before I joined.

I would recommend anyone to join 1 of the 3 services if only for the 4 years minimum. I went trade based as It gave me skills and qualifications that where desirable in civilian life.

Make no mistake about it, its hard bloody work, its also mostly miserable when you are sent away or on exercise but its ok as your friends around you are in exactly the same boat.

You will also find some roles unavailable to you as you have a criminal record, jobs that require SC clearance, certainly DV clearance but the career advisers should know which roles these are.

Now for the part that makes the above sound hypocritical. Would I do it again now? Would I fk. Its 1 thing in anyones life you only want to experience once. Even if that is 12 week or 22 years.

[272BHP]

Really? I would do it all again in a shot, obviously I can't as I am in my fifties but most of the vets I speak to would say the same. I did 22 yrs and there are at least 5 moments in those years that if I relayed the story to you it simply would not be believed. Most of the guys and girls I served with could say the same.

I would recommend the experience to anyone but as has been said above it is a lifestyle that has to be embraced to get the most out of it.

[chrisxr2]

I would do it again but definitely differently to the first time.

272BHP said:

Really? I would do it all again in a shot, obviously I can't as I am in my fifties but most of the vets I speak to would say the same. I did 22 yrs and there are at least 5 moments in those years that if I relayed the story to you it simply would not be believed. Most of the guys and girls I served with could say the same.

I would recommend the experience to anyone but as has been said above it is a lifestyle that has to be embraced to get the most out of it.

[PHuzzy]

The problem is that with the career I'm in now I've left, I see the route the younger guys have taken and I'd have been much better off doing what they're doing at that age than joining the army.

I loved it but ultimately if at 21-22 I'd have the choice of doing it all again or having my freedom and earning £40k+, travelling the world with all expenses paid I'd be doing the latter.

[DuncsGTi]

PHuzzy said:

The problem is that with the career I'm in now I've left, I see the route the younger guys have taken and I'd have been much better off doing what they're doing at that age than joining the army.

I loved it but ultimately if at 21-22 I'd have the choice of doing it all again or having my freedom and earning £40k+, travelling the world with all expenses paid I'd be doing the latter.

Whilst I completely get that, I loved my misspent late teenage years of tax free beer, fags and questionable behaviour in classy German establishments. The pink house in Walsrode was one of my personal favourites

[Z06George]

I can't add anything to the Army side specifically as I'm in the recruitment process for the Royal Marines Band Service but I'd definitely say don't worry about you're age. Providing everything works out I'll be 27 at the end of basic training, I don't think my younger self would have been up to the task to be honest!

[mikees]

Chuffedmonkey said:

Op

I would have to say now is the best time to join as you feel your life and career prospects are going nowhere.

I will tell anyone who asks about my Army career and what was the best part (happens a lot). I would tell them it was the friends for life you make but most importantly it makes you grow up and in my case, made me a far better man then I thought possible. It gave me confidence. With confidence it opens up your abilities to achieve anything available to you in the Army. I had a decent education and didnt get in trouble before joining but I was just existing week by week before I joined.

I would recommend anyone to join 1 of the 3 services if only for the 4 years minimum. I went trade based as It gave me skills and qualifications that where desirable in civilian life.

Make no mistake about it, its hard bloody work, its also mostly miserable when you are sent away or on exercise but its ok as your friends around you are in exactly the same boat.

You will also find some roles unavailable to you as you have a criminal record, jobs that require SC clearance, certainly DV clearance but the career advisers should know which roles these are.

Now for the part that makes the above sound hypocritical. Would I do it again now? Would I fk. Its 1 thing in anyones life you only want to experience once. Even if that is 12 week or 22 years.

Just checked to make sure buy a criminal record does not preclude DV. It’s on a case by case basis and will depend on the crime, role and vetting officer.

[matthias73]

Lord Marylebone said:

Sheets Tabuer said:

Join up, get sent to fight by your government then abandoned in a council flat and sued by the enemy while the government stay silent, whats not to like?

"ARMY - Get shot at for £14k"

I could do their new recruitment adverts.

Fortunately, those of us who are currently serving, particularly in the Infantry, would probably do a tour for free.

[ZOLLAR]

I've never served but quite a few of my friends have been in the Army (infantry), Navy and RAF (engineers).

All of them have gone on to do well for themselves based on what they learnt and the mentality they picked up.
My friend that was in the infantry was heading in the direction of prison imo with his behaviour prior to joining (Fighting on nights out, Drink driving etc), came from a well to do family but was a little spoilt.

Now very switched on and working hard which gives him a comfortable lifestyle.

A couple of the RAF guys have all ended up working for companies that repair medical equipment/maintain it, that seems to be a good gig!

Overall if you take from it and build on it I can't see how it could go wrong.

[Rider007]

Another vote for French Foreign Legion especially if you want to see action .Having a record is almost mandatory. Tough bunch of bds and you'd be surprised where they are operating around the world. Always remember my Geography teacher was in the Legion and you couldn't think of a guy more opposite to the image .Short , softly spoken and an absolute gent.

[matthias73]

Rider007 said:

Another vote for French Foreign Legion especially if you want to see action .Having a record is almost mandatory. Tough bunch of bds and you'd be surprised where they are operating around the world. Always remember my Geography teacher was in the Legion and you couldn't think of a guy more opposite to the image .Short , softly spoken and an absolute gent.

With respect, have you had much to do with them?

[Rider007]

matthias73 said:

Rider007 said:

Another vote for French Foreign Legion especially if you want to see action .Having a record is almost mandatory. Tough bunch of bds and you'd be surprised where they are operating around the world. Always remember my Geography teacher was in the Legion and you couldn't think of a guy more opposite to the image .Short , softly spoken and an absolute gent.

With respect, have you had much to do with them?

Not me but had a distant relative who's son was hanging around with wrong crowd and doing drugs. Father 'frog' marched him into a recruiting office and the rest is history .In it for 10 years , got to see the world and came out a changed man. Got a good job too in security with the 'skill's' he learnt.

[andy_s]

Without wishing to come across as a bit Walty, I did 5 years in the Big L in the eighties, in Calvi. It's perhaps the only organisation in the world that can get 140 different nationalities of all colours, religions and creeds pissed around the same table and singing the same song. The range of people was eclectic and the lifestyle was spartan and no nonsense but imbued with character - I'd certainly do it all over again. From there it was an easy walk-in to the Brits and then the old Bill - largely down to perceptions but at least you had something to talk about in the interviews. Since then I've spent 20 years in North Africa/Middle East in the security game and still have mates today from back then. There are some knobs, but same in any bunch of people. Ours was perhaps the last of the completely 'old school' Legion - we still had camp brothels on tour - nowadays it's far more aligned to regular forces/missions and has a far better professionalism/technique than my day, but still retains a lot of, er, individual charm, albeit with far fewer Brits.